Indoor Plants Selecting Indoor Plants Indoor potted plants

Indoor Plants

Selecting Indoor Plants • Indoor potted plants are an important segment of the items for sale in the retail shop

Selecting Indoor Plants • Potted plants are sometimes preferred to cut flowers because they last longer

Selecting Indoor Plants • Many customers who send flowers may choose a potted plant so that the recipient may enjoy it longer

Selecting Indoor Plants • Customers want to be educated about the plants that they select.

Plant Names • Identified by both common and scientific names • The name given to a plant be people living in the area is its common name

Plant Names • Common name may reflect some unusual characteristic of the plant or a specific use.

Plant Names • Common names may be confusing as a plant may be known by several common names.

Plant Names • Common names may be regional. The same plant, called by different names if different parts of the country • Scientific names are often used in selling potted plants.

Plant Names • Scientific names come form the classification system based on how plants are related to each other.

Plant Names • System was developed by a Swedish botanist named Linneaus in 1743

Plant Names • This system is still in use today. • All living things are divided into two kingdoms: plant or animal

Plant Names • Each division is broken into classes and each class into subclasses or orders

Plant Names • The breakdown continues through family, genus, species and varieties.

Plant Names • The name given to a plant in each category is always in Latin or Greek, with the exception of the variety name.

Plant Names • Each of the plant categories is called a taxon • A group of plant categories is called a taxa

Plant Names • Taxa are divided into minor or major taxa. Horticulturists are most concerned with the minor taxa.

Plant Names • The binomial naming system includes the genus taxon and the species taxon. • There are international rules which dictate the naming of plants.

Plant Names • Rules stipulate that when a name is given to a plant it cannot be used for any other plant

Light requirements • Most customers give little thought to the light requirements of the plant that they purchase. They are more concerned by its appearance and price

Light requirements • Sales people need to educate the consumer about the plant they are purchasing including its environmental requirements

Light requirements • High light- these plants grow best in full sun or bright, indirect light such as that found in or near sunlit windows or places where there is strong reflected light.

Light requirements • Medium light - grow best in bright, but sunless, window, or four to eight feet from a sunny window.

Light requirements • Low light - grow well with indirect light, such as that in a shaded window, or at a point more than eight feet from a bright window

Watering • More plants die form over watching than any other cause. • Each plant has individual watering needs. The proper frequency is not constant

Watering • Watering depends on the size of the plant, the size of the container, the environment, and the time of year.

Watering • determine if the plant needs water by scratching the top 1/2 inch of the soil surface

Moisture Requirements • dry-in-winter plants: Desert Cacti and succulents • should be treated as moist dry plants during the growing season

dry-in-winter • from spring to fall • during the winter, the soil should be allowed to dry out almost completely between waterings

Moist/dry plants • water thoroughly and frequently between spring and fall • water sparingly in winter • let top 1/2 inch dry out between waterings

Moist but not wet plants • most flowering plants belong to this group • soil is kept moist but not wet at all times

Moist but not wet plants • water carefully each time the surface dries • never frequently enough to keep soil saturated

Wet at all times plants • very few plants belong in this group • water thoroughly and frequently enough to keep the soil wet, not merely moist

Rule of Thumb • in the winter check the soil surface weekly to see if it is dry • in the summer, the soil surface should be checked daily

Cacti • in the winter, leave cacti and succulents alone unless there are signs of shriveling • keep in a cool room

Drenching • watering the plant until water runs out the bottom • if plants are sitting in drip trays, empty the tray after 30 minutes to keep plant from becoming too wet

Drenching • helps to remove salt build up from the soil • drenching is easily done in the tub or shower

Permanent or temporary plants • some plants are not expected to live forever • this needs to be explained to customers

Temporary plants • are purchased to be enjoyed for a short time and then discarded • some can be made to bloom again

Gift Plants • fall into the temporary category • examples are: azalea, gloxinia, cyclamen, chrysanthemum, poinsettia, Easter lily

Temporary • garden bulbs such as tulips and daffodils • can be later planted in the owners garden to bloom again next spring.

Temporary • most plants in this group - the flowers will fade and after a few weeks the leaves will fall

Blooming plants • African Violet and Peace Lily • bloom continuously or cycle throughout the year

Blooming plants • may have attractive foliage when not in bloom • these would be considered permanent plants.